Ë®¹ûÅÉAV

Those partners include Adam Weitsman, owner of Upstate Shredding in Owego and fellow village restaurants The Krebs and Elephant and the Dove. The idea for the diner began taking shape when, to the dismay of Weitsman and much of the Skaneateles community, the Hilltop Restaurant and Cedar House Lanes was closed in November after being purchased for redevelopment.

Soon after, Weitsman announced on social media that he would fully pay the staff of the "legendary" Hilltop until he could open a similar restaurant where they could work. A week later, he bought Johnny Angel's from the Lynn family, who operated the burger restaurant for about 20 years prior. Weitsman said its replacement would be named Clover's, after his 13-year-old daughter.

But the diner is more than her namesake. On Wednesday, Knauss said, Clover was in the kitchen, serving coffee. She also consulted on the creative process behind the diner, such as its branding.

Heavy on olive and beige, the space was designed to feel like a diner where everyone is welcome, Knauss said. Behind those surfaces, though, is all new equipment, including stoves, fryers and refrigerators. The six-month renovation process "took a few years off my life," he added with a laugh, but he praised the team for its "tremendous effort" seeing that process through.

Part of the renovation was bringing some pieces of Hilltop to Clover's. Booths and tables from the longtime restaurant were reupholstered and repainted by DW Upholstery, of Auburn, and Auburn Furniture, Knauss said. That made it feel all the more like a tradition continuing on Wednesday when, after months of peeking through the windows, customers could finally take a seat. 

"People are just so happy to be back and have a place here for community again," Knauss said. "To be able to gather and have affordable, quality food. People miss that."

Adding to the nostalgia at Clover's is the menu, which features many items from Hilltop and Johnny Angel's. Knauss said the team surveyed the community to make sure they didn't miss any favorites, from pancakes and frittatas for breakfast to burgers and quesadillas for lunch. They're also prepared by former employees of the two restaurants, who make up most of the staff of 35. 

Two employees of Hilltop for decades each, Nicole Shug and Denise Ware, are equity partners in the new diner. That was Weitsman's idea, Knauss said, and it was already paying off Wednesday.

"There were tons of customers who came in just to see them," he said. "These are loyal, passionate people who built their lives and were regulars at Hilltop. It was so cool to see."

Like he does with his other Skaneateles restaurants, Weitsman is donating his profits from Clover's to charity. Knauss is doing the same, he said. In his case, it's the , which he set up through the CNY Community Foundation to support causes aimed at reducing generational poverty. It was inspired by his adoption at a young age from a "bad situation" in Korea.

Knauss went on to co-found and sell Digital Hyve, a digital marketing agency, and become an angel investor. Living in Skaneateles, he befriended his fellow entrepreneur Weitsman about eight years ago, he said. The two share passion for business, family and Skaneateles, and will partner to introduce a sushi restaurant there this fall, hoping to build on the instant success of Clover's.

"We're great friends who love doing business together and doing things for our community," Knauss said. "Bringing some really cool options here for our neighbors."

Highlights of the celebration, presented by the Save Our Fourth Association, will include a mile-long parade along Main Street at 7 p.m. Thursday, the Bayside Cruisers Classic Car Show on South Lake Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, the traditional wall of fire at 9:15 p.m. Saturday, fireworks at 10 p.m. Saturday and the traditional boat parade on Little Sodus Bay at noon Monday.

Musical performances in the northern Cayuga County village this weekend will include Prime Time Horns from 8:30 p.m. to midnight, Skipping Stones from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and the Larry Kyle Duo from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, all at the Church Street pavilion. There will also be a band concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at Village Park.

Saturday, the busiest day of the celebration in Fair Haven, will begin with the annual 5K and walk to support Hospice of the Finger Lakes at 9 a.m. at the Church Street pavilion, with signup beginning at 8 a.m. for all ages. The day will also include a children's parade at 12:30 p.m. beginning at the fire department.

Additionally, the Save Our Fourth Association will present food trucks and a beer tent from 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Church Street pavilion. Also at the pavilion will be a chicken barbecue at 5 p.m. Thursday, 4 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. In Village Park, there will be a craft fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. And a carnival with ride specials at the pavilion will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

For more information about the Save Our Fourth Association's July 4 events in Fair Haven, visit .

In the Auburn area, Fourth of July festivities will include the traditional symphony performance by Symphoria at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 3, at the Emerson Park Pavilion. The event's rain date is July 10. It will be the first year since 2019 the fireworks have taken place the eve of July 4, as last year the event was postponed to August due to COVID-19. For more information, visit .

On July 4, Paul Saltarello, of Auburn, will host his annual radio concert celebrating Independence Day from 9 a.m. to noon on WDWN, 89.1 FM Auburn and 97.7 FM Fulton. The program will consist of traditional John Philip Sousa marches, Broadway showtunes, Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" and other classical selections, all with a patriotic theme. It will be broadcast from Cayuga Community College as a community service. The program will also be available on wdwn.fm and on Facebook. To contact the station during the program, call (315) 253-0449.

Also July 4, the Owasco Fire Department at 7174 Owasco Road will host its annual chicken barbecue and parade from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The menu includes chicken, barbecue beans, salt potatoes and a cookie for $15, and food will be available until it is sold out. The parade will begin at 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church. For more information, visit .

That night, Owasco Lake will have its own ring of fire, as a new effort titled "Light Up Owasco Lake" is encouraging property owners to illuminate the shoreline with LED flares and bonfires at 9:30 p.m. The effort is being organized by the "Owasco Lake, NY Homeowners' Community" Facebook group, which said in a news release that such an effort has not been done for several years.

LED flares are available at Wegmans, and $1 from each sale will be donated to the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council. Spectators are also welcome.

For more information, email lightupowasco@gmail.com.

An employee of the establishment, a woman in her 20s who was not involved in the fighting that led to the shooting, was found just outside the Lavish Lounge entrance and taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse with two gunshot wounds in the torso.

Auburn police said their investigation has determined that at least two groups were fighting when two Black men began shooting at each other and the employee was struck. Police believe one of the shooters may have also been injured.

Police described one of the shooters as a light-skin Black male with short dreadlocks and a full beard. He was wearing a black hat with a Chicago White Sox logo, a black hoodie with a Chicago logo, black jeans and white sneakers.

Police said they believe the suspects are from the Geneva/Waterloo area.

As of around 9:45 a.m., the victim was in critical but stable condition after emergency surgery.

Auburn police are asking anyone with additional information about the incident to contact them, especially anyone who was at Lavish Lounge during the incident.

Tips can be made by contacting Investigator Charles Augello at (315) 258-9880 or crauguello@auburnny.gov, calling the department's main phone line at (315) 253-3231 or emailing communitywatch@auburnny.gov. Callers can be anonymous.

The shooting was the second outside an Auburn bar in about three months.

John Wesley Smith III, 37, of Syracuse, was discovered dead of a gunshot wound in front of Swifty's Tavern on Perrine Street around 1:40 a.m. March 15. Shameek M. Copes, 28, of 1 Jefferson St., Apt. 1, Auburn, who had been identified as the suspect in Smith's death, pleaded not guilty to counts of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon during arraignment at Cayuga County Court May 27.

Many of the names that graced the bar's corner entrance in years past — Whiskey Boots, the Rockin' Robin, Copper John's — were painted like passport stamps into a collage on a wall. Clarke installed it to pay tribute to those businesses, she told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. Almost every trace of them was removed as she stripped the bar to its studs, revealing a brick firewall and chimney she had never seen before. 

The collage, like many visuals inside Britches', was influenced by content Clarke saw on TikTok and Instagram. In turn, she said, those visuals should make frequent backdrops for selfies and stories.

"I wanted it to be social-media worthy," she said. "When you take a picture in front of it, people know where you are."

The brick revealed during the renovation was a surprise even to Clarke, who has wanted to open a bar since she was 18. She's been interested in doing so at the 192 State St. building for years, she said, and during that time learned it has a rarely seen second floor. The floor, once used as apartments, is now the site of a VIP area that can be booked for private functions, as well as a kissing booth.

Before purchasing the building, Clarke worked as a crane operator at Nucor Steel for a decade. She also posts makeup tutorials on YouTube, where she greets viewers with the word that would become the name of her bar. Coined by her mother, it combines Clarke's nickname, Brit, with her affectionately profane term for her closest friends. The word's cursive logo, designed by A&M Graphics in Auburn, is the core of the bar's décor, Clarke said, including a large "Britches'" sign over the dance floor made of mirror shards with help from Jesse Kline of the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District.

Amid the bar's glitter and neon, however, are blank white walls. That way, Clarke said, they capture the tints and strobes of the bar's lighting system, an effect she compared to that of a chameleon. Britches' is similar to a club, she continued, but the atmosphere is "very approachable" to people who don't like clubs. For all the lights, they'll still be able to tell what's happening around them.

"I wanted something totally different for Auburn," Clarke said. "Auburn's never seen anything quite like this."

Clarke realized how much she wanted to provide that welcoming atmosphere while at her previous job. She's a people person, she said, which is also why people at Britches' should expect to see her there, working to entertain them. She spent three years getting to that point, through COVID-19 and its many delays, and she'll make sure she stays there with a wide array of events she has planned. They include live music, beginning with Between Covers at 8 tonight and Chasing Neon July 9, as well as drag shows, karaoke Thursdays with DJ Bryan Throw, and themed events like adult proms.

The beverage menu consists of a broad selection of domestic, craft and foreign beers, alcoholic seltzers, wines and mixed drinks that will be introduced regularly. On draft is a signature beer made by Homer Hops Brewing, called Britches' Brew, which Clarke said tastes like a cross between a traditional light lager and a fruity India pale ale. That and other drafts are filled using a bottoms-up system.

To protect their beverages, people at Britches' will be able to use something else Clarke saw on social media: the Nightcap, a cover for cups that doubles as a scrunchie and contains a straw hole. It's part of a broader effort by Clarke and her staff of 13 to ensure people at her bar feel safe, she said. Entry will require showing identification, having bags checked and scanning with a metal detector wand. 

"I want this to be a place for everybody," she said. "We're all here to have a good time. This is a place I want people to feel safe, like they can be themselves and like they can have a good time."

Specifically, the certification forms were not completed for employees who were paid electronically. The clerk did certify payrolls for the 3% of employees who were given paper checks, but the audit found that it was "unclear when the district clerk reviewed those payrolls because she did not date her certification forms." 

Despite the lack of certifications, the audit determined that payments to employees were accurate. The state comptroller's office said it did not discrepancies with the salaries and wages paid to district employees, but recommended that management ensure the payments are properly authorized "so that employees receive no more or no less than to which they are entitled." 

The comptroller's audit, which covered the period from July 1, 2019, through Nov. 30, 2020, uncovered other payroll issues in the district. A review of accrued leave records for 32 of the district's 308 employees found overstated leave for 15 employees totaling 66 days valued at $9,107 and understated leave of 16 days valued at $4,422. In the case of 12 employees, the overstated sick leave is due to the district granting leave at the beginning of the school year instead of accruing monthly. Two employees received paid sick leave despite not earning that time off. 

Auditors also found inaccuracies in how unused accruals were paid to employees who left the district. In one instance, an assistant principal/athletic director was given 21 vacation days on July 1, 2020. Once he left the district, the vacation time should have been prorated. Because his vacation days were not prorated, he was overpaid for 17.5 unused vacation days totaling $6,328. 

The state comptroller's office also questioned Cato-Meridian Superintendent Terry Ward's decision to grant leave to two administrators without approval from the school board. According to the audit, a principal received a 10-day paid administrative leave and another principal was given 33 extra sick days, a $13,410 value, by counting the unused sick leave they accumulated in another district. 

Superintendents can suspend employees until the next school board meeting. At that meeting, the superintendent must provide the board with facts related to the suspension so the board can take action. 

Regarding the principal who was placed on administrative leave, the board president told auditors that they were informed of the suspension in an executive session during a board meeting. But, the audit reveals, the school district did not provide documentation for action taken by the board. The president could not recall if there was action taken during the session. 

According to the audit, Ward explained that he believed the contract allowed him to grant paid administrative days and allow days to be carried over when hiring from outside of the district. 

"However, by granting leave without board authorization, taxpayers may be compensating individuals to more money than they are entitled," the comptroller's office wrote. 

In a letter to the comptroller's office, Cato-Meridian officials accepted many of the audit's recommendations and developed a corrective action plan. But the district disagreed with the audit's findings regarding the principal who was placed on leave without school board approval. 

"In this instance, due to the nature of the concern, the (school board) was informed in executive session and public notification was not appropriate," Ward wrote.

Deputies found the vehicle and tried to stop it, the release added, but the driver fled and refused to stop, leading to a pursuit toward Auburn.

"Due to the risk to the child and others traveling on area roadways, the pursuit was terminated and Deputies began to follow the vehicle from a distance," the news release said.

Police said the vehicle drove through Auburn, then went south again through Cayuga County into Tompkins County, and then back into Cayuga County. Deputies were able to safely deploy stop sticks and disable the vehicle in the area of state routes 38 and 90 in Locke.

The sheriff's office said the driver was Christina M. Deuel, 44, of Auburn. A 10-year-child was also found in the vehicle, but neither the child nor Deuel sustained injuries.

Deuel was charged with fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle, endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree reckless endangerment, all misdemeanors. She was arraigned Thursday morning at the Centralized Arraignment Part Court at the Cayuga County Jail, and was ordered held on $500 cash bail or $1,000 bond. She is also ordered to reappear in Locke Town Court on Wednesday, July 6, the release said.

The sheriff’s office was assisted in the investigation by the Auburn Police Department, the New York State Police, Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office and the Cayuga County 911 Center.

Schenck told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV Thursday afternoon that it was initially reported to the sheriff's office that the vehicle's driver might have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol with a child at the car, "but at the time of the stop, there wasn't evidence to establish probable cause that (Deuel) was driving under the influence, so there were no charges relative to that."

Schenck later said the sheriff's office's top concern was the child's safety.

"Obviously, when she fled that led us to have concern that the child was in danger," Schenck said. 

The sheriff said he's glad Deuel, the deputies and the public at large were ultimately unharmed.

People with information in relation to the incident are encouraged to call (315) 253-3545 or leave a tip at . Those leaving tips can remain anonymous.

According to a letter of intent by designer Bohler Engineering on New Potato Creek's behalf, the car wash would employ about 15 people, with two to three on site at all times. It would be open seven days a week, typically 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., but would possibly close earlier in the winter. Customers would be able to pay as they go or purchase memberships for unlimited use, and vacuums would be available to paying customers. Vacuums would be turned off when the car wash closes, and there would be no after-hours activities. Power equipment would be enclosed to reduce the noise it makes.

The 3,620-square-foot facility would have 25 parking spaces, 20 for vacuums, and one of the spaces would be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. During redevelopment, the property's current southern curb cut would be removed and the northern one would be moved slightly. New pole-mounted LED lights would illuminate the site, and new trees and shrubs would be planted.

Based in Thomaston, Georgia, the Tidal Wave Auto Spa chain has grown into about 100 locations, most of them in the southeastern U.S., since opening its first in 2004. The chain's signature model is the express wash. Tidal Wave currently has no locations in New York, but according to its website, it is also opening a location in South Glens Falls as it expands into the Northeast and Midwest. 

If the planning board approves the application, the car wash would join Auto Wash and K&S Car Wash on Grant Avenue. 

The Auburn Denny's closed due to "unforeseeable business circumstances prompted by COVID-19," operator Feast American Diners said in a filing with the state Department of Labor in May 2020, two months after the pandemic began in the U.S. The diner-style chain, open 24/7, closed locations in the areas of Syracuse, Rochester, Watertown and the Southern Tier at that time for the same reason.

She also looked on as an observer and witnessed the Lakers make section titles and state championship appearances an annual tradition. 

"I wanted to be like them when I was older," O'Connor said. "I was always around lacrosse growing up, going to practices and all the ULA stuff. I fell in love from an early age."

O'Connor worked her way up through the ranks and made her debut for the varsity team last spring as a sophomore. Her contributions were immediate, as she finished the condensed season with nearly 30 goals. 

That included a hat trick in the Section III Class D championship against Westhill, which Skaneateles won 14-6. 

"Stepping on the field, I was comfortable because our (then-sophomore) class had been playing together forever," O'Connor said. "Obviously it was nerve-wracking knowing it was the first time I was really playing on the varsity field. Nerve-wracking but exciting. You get the hang of it eventually."

Even with an unbeaten record in 15 games, the Lakers were unable to play for a state title as state tournaments were called off due COVID-19. 

Entering her junior season with state championships back in the fold, O'Connor said the expectation was to be one of New York state's final teams playing.

The Lakers lived up to that. The team claimed another Section III title and beat Salmon River, Whitney Point and Palmyra-Macedon (with an average score differential of 11 goals) en route to the Class D championship game.

Skaneateles faced Bronxville for all the marbles — the same Bronxville that the Lakers beat for the 2017 state title, but lost to in the 2019 state semifinal. This particular day, fortune favored the Broncos. 

"Obviously we didn't get the outcome we wanted," O'Connor said, "but I think we learned a lot from it and next year we can come out stronger."

Among personal highlights from her junior season, O'Connor noted two games. The first was the April 8 contest against Christian Brothers Academy. 

"It was one of the early games and we were down a couple people," O'Connor said. "It was like, 'Crap, what are we gonna do?' I ended up having six goals that game. It was definitely a moment I look back on."

There was also the section title game against South Jefferson. O'Connor scored the winning goal on a spin move with only 11 seconds remaining, sending the Lakers to the state tournament. 

She called that game "very meaningful."

As O'Connor looks ahead to her senior season, she knows one weight is already off her shoulders. For college, she has committed to the University of North Carolina where she'll play women's lacrosse for the Tar Heels. 

From one storied team to another. The Tar Heels won the national title this spring, the third in program history. O'Connor said putting on the North Carolina colors has been a longtime goal.

"In sixth grade I wrote a letter to myself. One of the boxes was 'Things you want to do when you're older' and my answer was to go to North Carolina and play lacrosse," O'Connor said. "It's always been something I've wanted. Sometimes it's still surreal. I do stuff with the commits and it's like, oh my gosh I'm actually going. 

"It's a relief to be committed there, but there's a lot of work to be done."

That includes one more mission at the high school level, where O'Connor hopes to build on her all-around game and lead Skaneateles to its fifth state title. 

"I think we have a really strong upcoming senior class," O'Connor said. "We have  big spots that we have to fill, but I think we'll definitely be back in Cortland. We have a good chance."

"We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their continuous support, prayers and well wishes as we go through this challenging period," the restaurant said. "We ask that everyone be mindful and respectful for our privacy as we maneuver through this difficult time."

According to the Auburn Police Department, a female Lavish Lounge employee in her 20s was found outside the entrance to the restaurant at 2:38 a.m. Sunday with two gunshot wounds in her torso. She was taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse where, after emergency surgery, she was in critical but stable condition. 

Police said the shooting took place after fighting between at least two groups of people. The employee, who was not involved with the fighting, was shot when two men opened fire at each other. One of the shooters was described by police as a light-skinned Black man with short dreadlocks and a full beard, wearing a black Chicago White Sox hat, a black hoodie with a Chicago logo, black jeans and white sneakers. Police believe the suspects are from the Geneva/Waterloo area.

Anyone with additional information about the incident, especially anyone who was at the Lavish Lounge at the time, is asked to contact Investigator Charles Augello at (315) 258-9880 or craugello@auburnny.gov, call the Auburn Police Department's main phone line at (315) 253-3231 or email communitywatch@auburnny.gov. Tipsters can be anonymous.

Augello told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV on Wednesday the department has no updates it can release due to the ongoing investigation.

The Lavish Lounge opened in November 2019. Owners Andrew Kirkland and Marcia Myers tried to give the former Auburn Ale House and Blarney Stone an upscale makeover, Kirkland told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV at the time, after years of fights and other trouble at the location. Along with a sleek, modern design, the lounge serves a food menu that heavily features cuisine from Kirkland's native Jamaica.

Tardif was sparingly used and finished the year with a modest point total. If all went according to plan, though, he'd be a major contributor in 2020 as a sophomore. 

Thanks to the COVID-canceled season, that breakthrough came a year late. But Tardif arrived in a big way in 2021. In 2022, he proved to be one of central New York's most effective scorers. 

"Once that shutdown came, I saw it as an opportunity to get better," Tardif said. "Going to prospect days, camps — whatever we could do. We followed guidelines even though it was hard, and made a lot of memories with my family."

Both Tardif and Smith, thinking back to their post-season interview following the freshman campaign, recognized the necessary areas for improvement. To be an effective attackman, a player must consistently handle checks, run through sticks and beat his defender to the cage. 

"To initiate and create offense, you need a kid that's willing to attack the cage. It's a physical, demanding responsibility and it's something he worked on," Smith said. "I was very excited that he took on that responsibility."

It helped that Tardif has an older brother, goalie Aiden (a 2019 Auburn graduate) to help craft his game. 

Tardif recalls partnering with his older sibling for workouts on the Holland Stadium turf — workouts that included plenty of challenges, trash talk and brotherly love. 

"He was a huge help," Tardif said. 

For many reasons, Tardif's junior and senior seasons were mirror images. Auburn started slow both years, then reeled off long winning streaks entering sectional play. Each season also ended with Tardif atop Auburn's leaderboard in goals and assists. 

While Smith credited Tardif for his approach to scoring, he also noted his temperament. 

"When he sets his mind to something, he's very determined to do it," Smith said. "I love the honesty he displays as a player. He was always very honest to me about what he felt about the team and what his role should be, and the respect he showed to his coaches was something we appreciated. 

"It may not be something you agree with, but to have an open conversation with one of your players is such an asset."

There are several moments from his senior season that Tardif points to as the most memorable. He remembers the April 28 loss to rival East Syracuse Minoa, and how that defeat motivated him and his teammates to two later wins over the Spartans — including one in the postseason. 

Smith recalls Tardif's performance in an April 23 victory over LaSalle. He finished with four goals and two assists, but it was how Tardif dictated play that impressed Smith the most. 

"With good players and with ambitious players, sometimes they can do too much," Smith said. "We knew (LaSalle) was a really good team that could score points, and we needed to possess the ball. Colin did enough scoring and enough feeding to give us a chance. When you get all the double teams ... you've got to give the ball up and trust in other players. That was the point in time he started to get other players involved."

Tardif's varsity career ended with a section semifinal loss to West Genesee, in a matchup that was mostly dominated by the Wildcats. But Tardif couldn't walk off the field without one final statement — his goal in the waning seconds spoiled a shutout bid. 

"I remember after I scored that goal, there was a little smile on my face," Tardif said. "It was like, 'Wow, that's my last goal.' It really sunk in right there. It was pretty sad, but it was nice to get one on them. I know the goalie was really mad at me because I ruined the shutout."

Tardif hopes to continue puzzling goaltenders at the collegiate level. He committed to Mercyhurst University in February 2021, a place he said "felt like home."

Like those meetings after his freshman year of high school, Tardif is well aware of the strides needed to make an impact at the next level. Smith looks forward to him taking on that challenge. 

"There's gonna be a learning process and it's going to be a faster pace," Smith said. "He's gonna have to be bigger, faster and stronger. He's going to push himself and set new goals, like he did throughout his high school career. 

"We're going to miss the presence he brought of someone that wants to be there and put the work in."